Thursday preview: Russia-Ukraine talks, ECB in focus

Against that backdrop, rate-setters at the European Central Bank are widely expected to stand pat on interest rates.

Neither do economists at Barclays Research expect the governing council to modify the path for quantitative easing that was announced in December.

However, the ECB was seen pledging to preserve price and financial stability and avoid "unwanted" tightening of financial conditions by postponing their exit from QE for as long as was necessary.

Indeed, the ECB would leave the door open to further QE if necessary, Barclays said.

In the US meanwhile, the Department of Labor was expected to report that the rate of consumer price inflation picked up further last month.

Barclays was anticipating an increase in the headline rate of CPI from 7.5% to 7.9%, led by "firm" services sector inflation.

On home shores, a spate of survey results were due out, including that for house prices in February from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

Also scheduled for release were the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's permanent staff placements and salaries indices for that same month.

On the company side of things and for Spirax Sarco's full-year numbers, Guillermo Peigneux Lojo at UBS anticipates revenues of £717.7m, up 15.1% year-on-year.

That was expected to have pushed the steam specialist's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation higher by 19.8% to £181.3m, for earnings per share of 1.8p.

At the time of its third quarter update, the manufacturer guided towards a "strong" performance on revenues, operating profit and margin.

Company management was also expecting to start 2022 with record year-end order books in all three of its operating segments.

The analyst also noted the fact that Spirax Sarco's shares were currently discounting 8.5% growth for perpetuity with its terminal value accounting for 74% of the then current share price valuation.

Thursday 9 March

FINALS

National Express Group, Spirent Communications, Spirax-Sarco Engineering, Balfour Beatty, Hill & Smith Holdings, Secure Income Reit, Just Group

Oakley Capital Investments Ltd. (DI), Savills

INTERIMS

Brooks Macdonald Group

Volution Group

AGMs

BMO Capital & Income Investment Trust

FINAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Micro Focus International, Apax Global Alpha Limited, Athelney Trust, Law Debenture Corp., Independent Inv Trust, Chemring Group, CRH (CDI), Rio Tinto

FINAL DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

Ramsdens Holdings

INTERIM EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Tritax Big Box Reit, Alliance Trust, BMO Capital & Income Investment Trust, Renishaw, Ruffer Investment Company Ltd Red PTG Pref Shares, Schroder Real Estate Investment Trust Ltd, Ediston Property Investment Company, Persimmon, Galliford Try, BMO Commercial Property Trust Limited, South32 Limited (DI), Temple Bar Inv Trust, London Finance & Investment Group, Triple Point Social Housing Reit, HSBC Holdings, Crown Place VCT, LondonMetric Property, Springfield Properties, PZ Cussons, JPMorgan Global Markets Emerging Income Trust, Puma Vct 13, Abrdn UK Smaller Companies Growth Trust, Ricardo, Evraz, SDCL Energy Efficiency Income Trust, JPMorgan Emerging Markets Inv Trust, BMO Real Estate Investments Limited

INTERIM DIVIDEND PAYMENT DATE

SSE, Bluefield Solar Income Fund Limited

SPECIAL EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Independent Inv Trust, Rio Tinto

QUARTERLY EX-DIVIDEND DATE

Independent Inv Trust

Rio Tinto

QUARTERLY PAYMENT DATE

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION COM STK USD0.20 (CDI)

UK ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

RICS Housing Market Survey (00:01)

Balance of Trade (07:00)

Industrial Production (07:00)

Gross Domestic Product (07:00)

Index of Services (07:00)

Manufacturing Production (07:00)

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ANOUNCEMENTS

ECB Interest Rate (EU) (12:45)

Consumer Price Index (US) (13:30)

Initial Jobless Claims (US) (13:30)

Continuing Claims (US) (13:30)